Foreign tourists in Spain spend 8.1% more than in 2010

The amount of money spent by international tourists visiting Spain from January to November 2011 was €49.985 billion, that is 8.1% more than last year according to figures reported in the Survey of Tourist Expenditures (Egatur) of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce.

The average expenditure per tourist stood at €929 in the first eleven months, 0.2% more than during the same period in 2010, while average daily spending rose by 3.9% up to €102. UK and Germany lead the total spending in the first eleven months with €9.905 billion, 1.9% more, and €8.294 billion, 2.4% more, respectively. Tourists from Scandinavia and France were the ones who increased their spending the most: 13% and 10.2% more respectively.

Catalonia, with 21.6% of the total expenditure and a year on year growth of 7.8% was the most visited region until November. In November, foreign tourist spending increased by 3.3% up to €3.030 billion. Last month the average daily expenditure increased by 7.2% up to €118 while the average expenditure per tourist fell by 0.4% down to €1,007 Euros.

The markets that have contributed the most to growth of the total spending in November were Latin America, Germany and the rest of Europe, and the Spanish region that most benefited from this increase was the Canary Islands. The Canaries concentrated the greater part of the spending receiving 33.7% of the total, €1.021 billion, 11.6% more than in November 2010. It was followed by Catalonia with 19.4% of the total expenditure, €587 million or 4.2% less than the same month last year.